An apostrophe is a signal telling the reader that a word is either a possessive or a contraction.

1) To Form Contractions.

As you know, a contraction is simply two words collapsed into one. You use contractions most often in informal or personal types of writing but usually not in more formal types. When you speak, you use contractions every day. Here are some common contractions:

cannot --&gt; can’t
will not --&gt; won’t
do not --&gt; don’t
we are --&gt; we’re
it is --&gt; it’s
you are --&gt; you’re

The apostrophe in the contractions above tells the reader that you have omitted a letter or two from the word—the letter o in three of the cases above. Undoubtedly, you have already mastered contractions, so we won’t go into detail. However, we will mention one common mistake. Remember that the apostrophe marks the missing letter. Don’t make the common mistake of placing the apostrophe between the two words, such as in these cases: should’nt, do’nt, etc.

2) To Form Possessives.

The apostrophe is also used to mark the possessive. The possessive tells the reader that someone or something owns or possesses the thing that comes after the possessive. Here are five examples:

Ronni’s word processor
the banker’s log book
the bank’s holdings
the nation’s GNP
the year’s end

The possessive noun in each of the examples above (Ronni’s, banker’s, bank’s, nation’s, year’s) indicates to the reader that something is owned by something or someone else. In most cases, to make the possessive you simply add an ’s to the end of the noun. This is quite easy. The problem arises when a noun is both plural and possessive. Certainly, there can be more than one Ronni, and they both can own the word processor. Or more than one banker can own the log book. In such cases, you simply place the apostrophe after rather than before the s:

Ronnis’
bankers’
banks’
nations’

Some writers become confused when they must make a possessive of singular nouns that already end in s. As usual, you make the possessive by adding ’s to the word; however, some writers and editors argue that the two s’ are redundant and that therefore you can eliminate the second s, ending up with the s’. That is, they argue that there is really no need to include an s after the apostrophe, since the apostrophe already tells readers that the word is possessive. Others argue that you should drop the final s only on words of several syllables but retain it on short words. Since there is no agreement on this difficult problem, you must make your own choice. However, regardless of which option you choose, do remember to be consistent. Here are three nouns which already end in s and their corresponding possessive forms:

James
James’s
James’

Jones
Jones’s
Jones’

class
class’
class’

Finally, the apostrophe is used in one other way. Although the apostrophe is never used to make a word plural, it is used to make letters and numerals plural:

Although I received C’s and D’s in many of my college classes, I always received A’s in my business classes.

My sister received straight A’s throughout her college career.

My score sheet showed that I had six 5’s and three 4’s.

From Punctuation Made Simple (http://chuma.cas.usf.edu/~olson/pms/intro.html)

Isabella

31-07-03, 02:51

http://moix.free.fr/smileys/lunettes/nerd.gif

laracroft8290

31-07-03, 02:54

I will say this the way Lara said it in the novelization of the first TR movie...

"Bryce, are you smoking?"

Except in our case it would be:

"TLR, are you smoking?"

Geck-o-Lizard

31-07-03, 02:56

Okay, in which forum was who screwing up? ROFLMAO :D :D

Draco

31-07-03, 02:59

I reckon summin has been in my hemp fields...

tlr online

31-07-03, 03:01

"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence."

Abigail Adams (1744 - 1818)

Isabella

31-07-03, 03:01

I thought I smelled patcholi

laracroft8290

31-07-03, 03:05

hehehe http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/pillow.gif

-edit-
Pic removed due to the offense of a user.
LC8290

[ 31. July 2003, 14:51: Message edited by: laracroft8290 ]

Annacia

31-07-03, 03:08

Oh lord! we cannot even be sloppy in our own forum now :rolleyes:

*sigh*

tlr online

31-07-03, 03:08

http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/jumper.gif

Rommie

31-07-03, 03:09

Originally posted by laracroft8290:
http://canopus.saao.ac.za/~wpk/gallery/signs/weed.jpg

Oh my goodness! This is hilarious! :D I think people need to take more english courses...

Annacia

31-07-03, 03:54

The server is stoned?????

Geck-o-Lizard

31-07-03, 03:56

LMAO :D
Uh oh...

Draco

31-07-03, 04:00

Not just stoned...hammered too...

laracroft8290

31-07-03, 04:03

Originally posted by Draco:
Not just stoned...hammered too...RFLOL!

That's how you restart most servers, hammers, and plug pulling devices such as plyers... http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/clown.gif

[ 31. July 2003, 05:04: Message edited by: laracroft8290 ]

Annacia

31-07-03, 04:06

Maybe ours needs a bigger hammer!

laracroft8290

31-07-03, 04:10

It needs to spread across two servers. One for the database, and another for the forum software, each with independent uplinks. Actually I'm just throwing out some bullsh*t. I don't know if that would work or not... http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/bash.gif

Annacia

31-07-03, 05:02

That could explain all the naps it requires.

Draco

31-07-03, 06:46

I was going to christen the server Grandpa...but even he dun need that much rest...

qwerasdfzxcv

31-07-03, 08:09

You're trying to teach good English in an internet forum? Good luck! http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

How come people on here grow dope in thier computers? I've never tried it myself, but I might. ;)

I haven't smoked it for about 6 months, but if I got into it again, maybe I could work for the management at Eidos...

http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/jumper.gif

Geck-o-Lizard

31-07-03, 12:27

You can actually buy illuminated fishtank panel thingies for your computer case with little plastic fish in it that swim about. You can see the computer's internal organs through it. http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif The warmth of the computer would probably speed up the growing time and soon, if you weren't careful, you'd have a desktop rainforest... http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/jumper.gif

Annacia

31-07-03, 12:33

say, gecko, could you post a picie of the fish tank thingie??????

Sage

31-07-03, 12:51

LMAOROF :D You can't get away with this talk in America. The cops Government would be knocking on my door the second I posted this reply. Where did you all get the pic's from? I e-mailed these pages to a friend of mine.
When I joined this forum, I didn't think I would be enlightened in THAT way. Cool beans. http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/music2.gif

Geck-o-Lizard

31-07-03, 12:53

http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/front/aquarium.jpg

thinkgeek.com

Annacia

31-07-03, 13:11

Oh, that is just too much fun! :D

Annacia

31-07-03, 13:13

Thanks Gec!

Geck-o-Lizard

31-07-03, 13:14

I'm off to play Wipeout now. Bye! http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/wave.gif

Annacia

31-07-03, 13:28

http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/wave.gif

Rommie

31-07-03, 13:32

Originally posted by Geck-o-Lizard:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/front/aquarium.jpg

This place has been allowed to go to hell, and the moderators are not doing their jobs. That you allow an arsehole like Laracroft8290 to destroy an excellent, informative thread like this with blatent drug promotion is disgraceful. Instead of kicking the arsehole off the site, you sit back and laugh about it.

Well, I for one will no longer be visiting this site.

Goodbye.

:mad:

tlr online

31-07-03, 13:38

OK. Let's get this one back on topic.

Annacia

31-07-03, 13:43

OK. *pout*

Gavman

31-07-03, 13:43

Only you could have a successful topic with that title tlr http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/pistol.gif

[ 31. July 2003, 14:45: Message edited by: Gavman ]

Rommie

31-07-03, 13:43

:(

Annacia

31-07-03, 13:45

But tlr, the fish thingie is cute huh?

tlr online

31-07-03, 13:48

The fish thing is great. What happens if the tank springs a leak tho... or the CPU heats up the water and boils the fish. http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Annacia

31-07-03, 13:50

They are plastic fishies!

Annacia

31-07-03, 13:55

Or perhaps i should have said:

They're plastic fishies!

[ 31. July 2003, 14:56: Message edited by: Annacia ]

laracroft8290

31-07-03, 14:02

Originally posted by GeorgeM:
This place has been allowed to go to hell, and the moderators are not doing their jobs. That you allow an arsehole like Laracroft8290 to destroy an excellent, informative thread like this with blatent drug promotion is disgraceful. Instead of kicking the arsehole off the site, you sit back and laugh about it.

Well, I for one will no longer be visiting this site.

Goodbye.

:mad: I apologize to you GeorgeM. I was just a little crazy last night. I apologize again. But I do hope that you would continue to visit the forums.

tumbleweed http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif it rolls across the floor and the wind howls when there is silence, but thats the only picture i could find but it doesnt look like it :confused:

Annacia

31-07-03, 16:22

I know it's a tumbleweed Fug! (I'm from the southwest, seen a bunch of 'em) why did you post a picie of one?